- Title: JAPAN: Aquarium uses art and unique tank designs to draw visitors.
- Date: 28th August 2012
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 22-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT MINAMI ITO SAYING: "It's really stylish and cool. It really feels like a modern Japanese way of showing goldfish. I'm enjoying myself."
- Embargoed: 12th September 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Arts,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAAVW3G83EMMQVK7GW4UDJHS61Y
- Story Text: Fish tanks get artistic treatment as visitors check out what new and unique homes goldfish and their kin get to inhabit.
While most people don't think of a visit to an aquarium as a place to view art, one aquarium in Tokyo is looking to change that by putting the fish inside the artworks themselves.
The "Art Aquarium" in downtown Tokyo, designed by Hidetomo Kimura has over 5,000 goldfish swimming through its myriad of tank designs.
Kimura explained that his original reason to design the exhibit was that while aquariums and pet shops existed, he wanted something where people could enjoy fish in a new manner.
"I realized that there must be a better way to show fish. And when I looked around the world, all I saw was that current aquariums just display fish. And then pet shops sell them to be appreciated at home. I realized that's all that existed up to this point," Kimura explained.
The exhibit was held last year and while this year it has more goldfish, Kimura is still setting his sights higher with a possible world tour.
"So my hope and eventual goal is that I can indeed take this world-wide. Hopefully it can one day be like a circus where I go around the world with these goldfish and artworks," Kimura.
Most visitors were delighted by the exhibits which range from a giant goldfish bowl to a tank that includes a changing digital screen as the background for the fish.
"(I liked) the fish that were in the screens," said 4-year-old Kouki Endo.
At night, the aquarium features DJ's and drinks are served for visitors.
"It's really stylish and cool. It really feels like a modern Japanese way of showing goldfish. I'm enjoying myself," 22-year-old university student Minami Ito said.
The exhibit is scheduled to last until September 24th after which a similar exhibit is planned in Osaka later in the year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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